The Alchemy feature is currently taking a rest. You can read here for more details about the change.

Dear Sellers:

Alchemy is a feature on Etsy where members can post requests for custom handmade items, and sellers then bid on the opportunity to make the goods. Alchemy is another way to buy and sell an item through Etsy and, like a regularly listed item, an Alchemy transaction eventually generates a sold item page — a non-editable, public record of that transaction. This post addresses which information from your Alchemy transaction goes “on the public record” so to speak.

Alchemy has four different phases: request, bid, transaction and finally, the public sold listing. We’ll explain the differences here, because the parts you can edit change each step along the way.

The transaction starts as an Alchemy request, made by a buyer. The request is designed to attract sellers, and also communicate what, when, and how much the buyer desires to spend, so that sellers can make an informed bid.

However, this information does not become the item description that appears in the final listing — the accepted bid does. An Alchemy bid outlines a seller’s offer, including the estimated price, shipping costs and terms, payment terms, and a detailed description of the item the seller would create.

Etsy sends a Conversation to both the buyer and seller when a bid is placed. A buyer and seller can communicate any changes or details by replying to the Convo that Etsy started. The seller can edit the bid with any changes or details discussed via Convo before the bid is accepted. Once a bid is accepted by the buyer, the text cannot be edited. This text will become the description for the public sold listing.

After a buyer accepts a bid, the seller needs to confirm they are still availble to make the item. When a seller confirms the accepted bid, it becomes a transaction. The transaction info will appear in Your Etsy > Purchases for the buyer and Your Etsy > Sold (orders) for the seller. At this point, the seller is charged a 3.5% transaction fee.

While the description text is no longer editable, the seller can upload photos (up to 5 images). These photos can show in-progress work and the final product. Be sure that the last photo added is of the finished item, since it will become the main image for the public sold listing page. A buyer should let the seller know if they don’t want photos of their item shown, and it’s not a bad idea for a seller to inquire.

When the seller is finished with the item and ready to ship, they should press the Complete button in the Alchemy ticket. This will finish the transaction. The sold listing will now appear in the public Sold Items and Request Custom Item sections of the seller’s shop. Both buyer and seller can now leave feedback, by going to Your Etsy > Feedback > Items Awaiting Feedback.

Best of luck to you in all of your future Alchemy transactions!